Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons^™

Optimizing Multi-Agent Network For Target Localization Through Mutual Information Maximization, Bibek Adhikari

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

A multi-agent network is a system comprising multiple interacting agents that coexist collaboratively within a networked, autonomous environment. The thesis addresses the target localization problem using a multi-rover network, described as autonomous agents, using an information-theoretic distributed control framework. The objective of the mission, through the integration of the particle filter representation of the posterior probability distribution of the target state and the observable, is to compute control input to arrange agents’ locations, maximizing the mutual information between the target’s position and sensor measurements. Consequently, the method leads to future observation which minimizes the future uncertainty of the target state. …

Distributed Control Of Servicing Satellite Fleet Using Horizon Simulation Framework, Scott Plantenga

Master's Theses

On-orbit satellite servicing is critical to maximizing space utilization and sustainability and is of growing interest for commercial, civil, and defense applications. Reliance on astronauts or anchored robotic arms for the servicing of next-generation large, complex space structures operating beyond Low Earth Orbit is impractical. Substantial literature has investigated the mission design and analysis of robotic servicing missions that utilize a single servicing satellite to approach and service a single target satellite. This motivates the present research to investigate a fleet of servicing satellites performing several operations for a large, central space structure.

This research leverages a distributed control approach, …

Optimal Incorporation Of Non-Traditional Sensors Into The Space Domain Awareness Architecture, Albert R. Vasso

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Government is the world’s de facto provider of space object cataloging data, but is challenged to maintain pace in an increasingly complex space environment. This work advances a multi-disciplinary approach to better understand and evaluate an underexplored solution recommended by national policy, in which current collection capabilities are augmented with non-traditional sensors. System architecting and literature identify likely needs, performance measures, and contributors to a conceptualized Augmented Network. Multiple hypothetical telescope architectures are modeled and simulated on four separate days throughout the year, then evaluated against performance measures and constraints using optimization. Decision analysis and Pareto optimality …

Scheduling Allocation And Inventory Replenishment Problems Under Uncertainty: Applications In Managing Electric Vehicle And Drone Battery Swap Stations, Amin Asadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, motivated by electric vehicle (EV) and drone application growth, we propose novel optimization problems and solution techniques for managing the operations at EV and drone battery swap stations. In Chapter 2, we introduce a novel class of stochastic scheduling allocation and inventory replenishment problems (SAIRP), which determines the recharging, discharging, and replacement decisions at a swap station over time to maximize the expected total profit. We use Markov Decision Process (MDP) to model SAIRPs facing uncertain demands, varying costs, and battery degradation. Considering battery degradation is crucial as it relaxes the assumption that charging/discharging batteries do not …

Influence Of The Inherent Safety Principles On Quantitative Risk In Process Industry: Application Of Genetic Algorithm Process Optimization (Gapo), Mehdi Jahangiri, Abolfazl Moghadasi, Mojtaba Kamalinia, Farid Sadeghianjahromi, Sean Banaee

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Inherent safety (IS) refers to a set of measures that enhance the safety level of processes and equipment, rendering additional equipment and/or add-ons. The early design phase of processes is suited best for implementation of IS strategies as some of such strategies either are impossible to be implemented at the operation phase or substantially increase costs. The purpose of this study is to present a new approach called genetic algorithm process optimization (GAPO), by which processes can be made inherently safer even at the operation phase. This study simulates the IS principle, assessing its impact on quantitative risk and the …

Development, Test And Evaluation Of Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Systems In A Simulated Wide Area Search Scenario: An Implementation Of The Autonomous Systems Reference Architecture, Katherine E. Cheney, David D. King

Theses and Dissertations

The implementation and testing of autonomous and cooperative unmanned systems is challenging due to the inherent design complexity, infinite test spaces, and lack of autonomy specific measures. These challenges are limiting the USAF's ability to deploy and take advantage of tactical and strategic advantages offered by these systems. This research instantiates an Autonomous System Reference Architecture (ASRA) on a Wide Area Search (WAS) scenario as a test bed for rapid prototyping and evaluation of autonomous and cooperative systems. This research aims to pro- vide a framework to evaluate the system’s ability to achieve mission and autonomy objectives, develop reusable autonomous …

Whitespace Exploration, Jason Lloyd Daniel

Master's Theses

As engineering systems grow in complexity so too must the design tools that we use evolve and allow for decision makers to efficiently ask questions of their model and obtain meaningful answers. The process of whitespace exploration has recently been developed to aid in engineering design and provide insight into a design space where traditional design exploration methods may fail. In an effort to further the research and development of whitespace exploration algorithms, a software package called Thalia has been created to allow for automated data collection and experimentation with the whitespace exploration methodology.

In this work, whitespace exploration is …

A Method For Evaluating Aircraft Electric Power System Sizing And Failure Resiliency, Cory Kenneth Kross

Master's Theses

With the More Electric Aircraft paradigm, commercial commuter aircraft are increasing the size and complexity of electrical power systems by increasing the number of electrical loads. With this increase in complexity comes a need to analyze electrical power systems using new tools. The Hybrid Power System Optimizer (HyPSO) developed by Airbus SAS is a simulator designed to analyze new aircraft power systems. This thesis project will first provide a method to assess the reliability of complex aircraft electrical power systems before and after failure and reconfiguration events. Next, an add-on to HyPSO is developed to integrate the previously developed reliability …

The Context Of Tool Control In An Aircraft Assembly Environment Related To Productivity, Taylor Jay Sisson

KSU Journey Honors College Capstones and Theses

The aircraft industry focuses a large portion of its resources on tool control during the assembly of aircraft. Tool control is a strict process that demands time from the assembly process. This time is removed from the value-added time spent actually assembling the aircraft. A study at Lockheed Martin conducted in the Spring of 2016 is discussed that examines the time spent on tool control. Tool control is necessary in aircraft assembly to prevent tools from entering compartments of the aircraft. If such an event occurs, the tool may damage the aircraft. All aircraft assembly processes must be tool controlled, …

A Methodology For The Optimization Of Disaggregated Space System Conceptual Designs, Robert E. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Optimal design techniques have proven to be an effective systems engineering tool. Using systems architecture as the foundation, this research explores the use of mixed variable optimization models for synthesizing and evaluating disaggregated space system concepts. Model-based conceptual design techniques are used to identify and assess system architectures based upon estimated system cost, performance trades, and cost risk. The Disaggregated Integral System Concept Optimization (DISCO) methodology is introduced, and then applied to representative space-based missions. Several results are obtained that indicate significant cost effectiveness gains from the optimization of multi-orbit and multi-function/multi-orbit disaggregated space systems. The general methodology has broad …

Comet: Constrained Optimization Of Multiple-Dimensions For Efficient Trajectories, Michael Curt Conrad

Master's Theses

The paper describes the background and concepts behind a master’s thesis platform known as COMET (Constrained Optimization of Multiple-dimensions for Efficient Trajectories) created for mission designers to determine and evaluate suitable interplanetary trajectories. This includes an examination of the improvements to the global optimization algorithm, Differential Evolution, through a cascading search space pruning method and decomposition of optimization parameters. Results are compared to those produced by the European Space Agency’s Advanced Concept Team’s Multiple Gravity Assist Program. It was found that while discrepancies in the calculation of ΔV’s for flyby maneuvers exist between the two programs, COMET showed a noticeable …

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Of An Extreme Aspect Ratio Hale Uav, Bryan J. Morrisey

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of an Extreme Aspect Ratio HALE UAV

Bryan J. Morrisey

Development of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft systems is part of a vision for a low cost communications/surveillance capability. Applications of a multi payload aircraft operating for extended periods at stratospheric altitudes span military and civil genres and support battlefield operations, communications, atmospheric or agricultural monitoring, surveillance, and other disciplines that may currently require satellite-based infrastructure. Presently, several development efforts are underway in this field, including a project sponsored by DARPA that aims at producing an aircraft that can sustain flight for multiple years and …

Biogeography-Based Optimization, Daniel J. Simon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Biogeography is the study of the geographical distribution of biological organisms. Mathematical equations that govern the distribution of organisms were first discovered and developed during the 1960s. The mindset of the engineer is that we can learn from nature. This motivates the application of biogeography to optimization problems. Just as the mathematics of biological genetics inspired the development of genetic algorithms (GAs), and the mathematics of biological neurons inspired the development of artificial neural networks, this paper considers the mathematics of biogeography as the basis for the development of a new field: biogeography-based optimization (BBO). We discuss natural biogeography and …

Data Smoothing And Interpolation Using Eighth-Order Algebraic Splines, Daniel J. Simon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A new type of algebraic spline is used to derive a filter for smoothing or interpolating discrete data points. The spline is dependent on control parameters that specify the relative importance of data fitting and the derivatives of the spline. A general spline of arbitrary order is first formulated using matrix equations. We then focus on eighth-order splines because of the continuity of their first three derivatives (desirable for motor and robotics applications). The spline's matrix equations are rewritten to give a recursive filter that can be implemented in real time for lengthy data sequences. The filter is lowpass with …

Sum Normal Optimization Of Fuzzy Membership Functions, Daniel J. Simon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Given a fuzzy logic system, how can we determine the membership functions that will result in the best performance? If we constrain the membership functions to a certain shape (e.g., triangles or trapezoids) then each membership function can be parameterized by a small number of variables and the membership optimization problem can be reduced to a parameter optimization problem. This is the approach that is typically taken, but it results in membership functions that are not (in general) sum normal. That is, the resulting membership function values do not add up to one at each point in the domain. This …

Design And Rule Base Reduction Of A Fuzzy Filter For The Estimation Of Motor Currents, Daniel J. Simon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Fuzzy systems have been used extensively and successfully in control systems over the past few decades, but have been applied much less often to filtering problems. This is somewhat surprising in view of the dual relationship between control and estimation. This paper discusses and demonstrates the application of fuzzy filtering to motor winding current estimation in permanent magnet synchronous motors. Motor winding current estimation is an important problem because in order to implement effective closed-loop control, a good estimation of the current is needed. Motor winding currents are notoriously noisy because of electrical noise in the motor drive. We use …